1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety devices, and more particularly, to a fall protection system for providing fall protection to persons working mid-span on horizontal structures, such as a horizontal strand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Workers, such as linemen, employed to perform operations on horizontally extending lines typically prop a ladder adjacent a location of the line requiring work, where the line is used as an upper support for the ladder. The danger inherent in climbing and working on lines using a ladder is well known, in that the ladder may shift while in use, and particularly when the worker is ascending or descending the ladder. In addition, such lines are subject to oscillating movement which can cause instability in the ladder and increased danger to a worker due to movement of the line.
Generally, the prior art has recognized the importance of providing a secure connection between a ladder and a line providing a support for the ladder. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,054,581 and 5,529,145. Further, it should be noted that some known worker support constructions rely on a connection to the ladder to support the worker, and thus the degree of safety provided to the worker will vary with the integrity of the ladder construction and will further depend on the reliability of the connection between the ladder and the supporting elevated line.
Although several prior art devices suggest constructions for maintaining a desired position for ladders utilized in combination with elevated lines, and devices for attachment to workers for securing the worker in various ways to the ladder structure, there remains a need for providing fall protection to a worker in situations where the worker is climbing a ladder, as well as when the worker is in position to perform a task at an elevated location. In particular, there is a need for a fall protection system which directly associates a worker with the elevated support line and which ensures that the connecting components of the fall protection system connecting the worker to the elevated line meet or exceed fall protection standards, such as the ANSI Z.359 or ANSI A-14.3 standards, which relate to loads applied against the system in the event a fall by the worker is arrested by the system. There is a further need for providing a fall protection system which can be secured prior to the worker ascending to the elevated work location, such that the fall protection system may be implemented throughout the time a worker is at risk.